Elmira 5, Utica 2 - Box Score

Utica, NY (11-20-11) - The Utica College women's hockey team jumped out to a 2-0 lead over nationally-ranked No. 8 Elmira College, but could not hold the lead as the Soaring Eagles scored five third-period goals to defeat UC, 5-2, Sunday at the Murray Athletic Center.  Senior goalie Marissa Hotaling (Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro) stopped 36 shots in net for the Pioneers.

Utica is now 3-5 overall and falls to 1-5 in ECAC Women's West play while Elmira improved to 5-1 on the season and remains undefeated in the conference at 4-0. UC returns to the rink Sunday as it hits the road for a non-conference match against Williams College (1-1, 1-1 NESCAC).  The puck is scheduled to drop at 4 p.m. at the Lansing Chapman Rink (Williamstown, MA). 

The first 20 minutes of play was evenly matched as EC edged an 11-9 advantage over UC in shots.  Elmira killed the only power-play opportunity of the period at 12:33 as the game remained scoreless headed into the locker room.

The Pioneers were penalized twice within the first 10 minutes of the second period, however deaded back-to-back man-down situations to hold the tie. The Soaring Eagles were whistled for their third penalty of the contest at 9:58 and just over a minute later, at 11:14, UC's Brittany DelleChiaie (Leominster, MA/The Winchendon School) converted her team-leading, fourth goal of the season to give Utica a 1-0 lead.  Freshman Louise Steele- Norton and sophomore Megan Myers (Las Vegas, NV/LA Selects) were awarded assists on the play.  Just .17 seconds later, the Pioneers executed a three-way score to take a quick 2-0 lead, at 11:31.  Freshman Nicole Schwartz (Danville, CA/San Jose Sharks) finessed her second collegiate goal on the play as she was set-up by freshman Kelsey Dowdall (Smiths Falls, ONT/Nepean) and Myers.

After a quick Pioneer penalty, at 2:36 in the final period, the home-team got on the board as Alex Bresler tallied her fifth goal of the season on the EC power-play to cut the lead to 2-1. Following coincidental penalties, at 5:44, Elmira tied the game 2-2, with just eight seconds remaining on power-play.  EC's Amber Tirri knotted the game at 7:36, even-strengthed (5x5), of a Kathryn Walker feed. Only .17 seconds later, the Soaring Eagles pulled their first lead and the eventual victory as Tanis Lamoureux found the back of the net for her third goal of the year, giving the home team a 3-2 edge.  Lamoureuz scored again at 14:04 to cushion Elmira with a 4-2 lead with under six minutes left in regulation.  Utica pulled its goalie and suffered an empty-netter at 19:15 as it fell to eighth in the conference standings.

EC outshot UC 42-23 in the contest and 92-42 on the weekend.  Elmira goalie Lisa Marshall recorded 21 saves as she led her squad into third place in the ECAC Women's West Conference.  The Soaring Eagles return to action Nov. 27 for the Cardinal-Panther Classic hosted by SUNY Plattsburgh.